feeding birds has created a tree damage problem

9 years ago

I am absolutely sick with nausea....what has been my greatest joy this spring has just turned into a big problem and I am sick about it all.

Last fall, I purchased a large $400 Sunburst Locust for my front yard. It was replacing a huge old maple tree. I decided to splurge & get a larger tree, since we saved $ by taking down the old tree ourselves. The new tree has a 4" trunk and had lichen all over the trunk and limbs.

In late winter, I started filling a bird feeder half way between my kitchen window and the tree. I started making my own suet and we enjoyed downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers in addition to many song birds. I learned which was which as they started to come, along with all the nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, etc...

However, the woodpeckers seemed to be pecking at the lichen areas of the new tree. It seemed fairly scattered and light on the tree, so I didn't get too concerned and I kept working on filling feeders, etc...I was beyond elated to have rose breasted grossbeaks last week (I had never seen them before in my life.) Yesterday we had a yellow finch couple visit for the first time. My whole family is enjoying the birds and we've even given a few of them names. I spent a lot of money on bird seed last week.

Yesterday, on the opposite side of my new tree, I discovered a huge spot of woodpecker damage that has covered more than 1/2 way around the leader branch of the tree....and there is scaring on the other side. It is so great that the tree guy said it may kill the tree.

I am now having to find ways to REPEL the very birds I have just come to love. Plus, I may have knowingly allowed damage to come to my big tree investment, if not death.

My plan is to put reflective tape/foil/cds, that sort of thing in the tree and to move the bird feeders away from this area to a far spot in my yard (where we won't be able to see the birds at the feeder)

I have been awake since 3:30 this morning just sick at the complete all around loss...the loss of the bird enjoyment, the bonding of my family around this topic and now the idea that I may have killed my $400 tree. And even if that didn't matter, I could replace the tree...we have done more plantings around that tree which would have to be moved out if a new installation were needed....right now, we've had so much moisture, we couldn't even have a truck in our yard to move out the tree...

What should I do?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

catherinet
9 years ago
Trees have an incredible ability to heal themselves.
I, too, noticed that when I had a suet feeder close to trees that the woodpeckers would peck the trees.

Can you just attract birds other than woodpeckers? Are you using suet too?

I'm wondering if you have pileated woodpecker damage?
Can you post a picture of the damage?
Can you move the feeder to an area that doesn't have trees as close by?
Don't freak out just yet.
Mary4b
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for responding, it's been a heavy hearted day.
I did take some pics, then I got some waterproof foil tape and wrapped it loosely around the trunk, only adhering the tape back onto itself (so no adhesive on trunk.)

We also cut up some holographic poster board into strips and hung strips around the tree...that's supposed to scare the birds off.

I took down the feeders completely, with a very heavy heart and will put them back up in a few days....on another area of the property. Unfortunately, I also have another new tree in the backyard which also has lichen growing on it, so I don't want to put those feeders near there. The feeders won't be anywhere in my viewing area, which is a big bummer for me.

We couldn't get the reflective tape or holographic strips and into the upper 3rd of the tree and we saw a woodpecker land...however, the bird left soon thereafter, since there was no food around.

At the same time, we saw a male and female Baltimore Oriole land on the tree and I just about swooned...we have not seen them before! I do think I could get some orange out for them and the woodpeckers would not be interested, right?
Related Discussions
Birds & Bird Feeders Vs Trees
Q
Comments (19)
You can always try hanging the feeders independent of the trees. A post set into the ground with hooks for the feeders or the shepherd's crooks they sell specifically for this purpose would prevent any damage hanging feeding appliances directly to a tree might incur. As to the pros and cons of feeding birds.......I agree with Dan on this one. Expanding development has restricted/removed many of the natural habitats and food sources and encouraging birds to the garden is overall a very good thing - they are the best natural insect control available! Plus, they are infinitely entertaining. Planting to encourage habitat and to supplement food sources is desirable, but nothing wrong with feeders either. They can bring the birds up close and personal :-)) If you want songbirds, try a "no-waste" mix. Even if it gets scattered on the ground, it gets eaten too fast to hang around to attract rodents. And sapsucker damage to trees is generally more cosmetic than particularly harmful. Since they have a 'preferred' tree menu, you can always avoid attracting them by not planting the trees they like. And as they tend to limit their diet to insects and tree sap, with supplementation from fruits and berries - the seed feeders are unlikely to create additional problems.
...See More
Feeding & attracting & photos of winter birds
Q
Comments (15)
I feed the birds all year sort of. They start with cleaning off the sunflowers that they plant the previous fall and continue to clean off the grasses, berries, and corn that I sometimes grow just for them. Of course I have water out all the time for them and a heated dish in the winter. I feed the big birds cat food with bread or cereal in it. They get any left overs when I cook a turkey or ham. I make my own concoction of peanut butter, prunes, hulled sunflower seeds, rolled oats, millet, black oil sunflower and a few other things they like to pick at. I buy millet, black oil sunflower and striped sunflower by the sack and keep it in large bins in the hall along with peanuts,hulled sunflower seeds, oats and rabbit pellets. Once in a while I will give them a treat of meal worms from the petstore or cut up fruit. And sometimes I will get a seed bell or spray millet just to watch them. I also ground up dry catfood last year and put it in the feeder. The little birds get much needed fat and protein to keep warm that way. I have the usual black and white feather dusters, the blue jays, lots of chickadees (black capped and boreal), nuthatches (red and white breasted), woodpeckers, northern flickers, juncos, finches, sparrows, the odd grosbeaks, waxwings, and redpolls and I even had a kestral last spring. Not many crows unless it is a really warm winter. My computer is in the corner of the front bedroom where there are the old corner windows. I feed the birds from about 5 feeders and baskets hanging from the big white spruce about 2 feet from the corner of the house here. I feed the rabbits under the tree and the dish feeders on the fence from big heavy ceramic dishes. It is such a routine for me to feed the birds after I feed the dogs on winter mornings. My neighbours are used to the crazy lady in her fleece pjs out feeding the birds every morning and the dogs go out and wait by the fence for the maggies to drop food for them. Quite the scene to watch! The maggies are very comical and they literally talk to me. I can't stand to see anything go hungry or be cold and the little birds seem to like to feast under the protective branches of this 50 foot spruce. My neighbour across the street says she likes to sit with her coffee in the morning and watch the bunnies and birds eating. And that reminds me: Must find a bale of hay for the bunnies. Last year I fed a cat all winter but coudln't catch her. She left me mice most mornings under the kennel....... I hope we have a mild winter or at least get some snow. It is bitterly cold without a little insulation. Ginny
...See More
Could bird feeding end badly?
Q
Comments (30)
Just hadda share about hawks. Came to this forum to ask a bird question but this post subject intrigued me so I hadda check it out. I've had a hawk in my area for several years now, but only seen him in flight or sitting up on top of a dead tree a block away. But what happend the other day was new to me. There's a small tree across the street that all my sparrows fly to after they feed at my front yard feeders. I was out in my garden and guess I got 'lucky.' All of a sudden, I saw a big bird go flying into that tree !! At first I thought it was a pigeon since I have to deal with them, as well. But it turned out to be that hawk !! I say I got lucky, because I feel as others have said, it's nature and I've never seen a hawk THAT close to the ground!! Anyway, birds scattered, flying out of the tree all at once, making a big ruckus. Then out flew few stragglers, then even a few more after that. Seeing some of them taking so long, I was sure he'd snagged one. I took a chance and walked s-l-o-w-l-y across the street to see if he was feasting on one (not to sound morbid, but once again...it's nature). I wasn't even sure he was still in the tree but as I got about three feet away, out he flew and then just stopped and landed on a fence post, only several feet away from me. He even looked over at me as if to say, "HA HA, you can't catch me, but I'll let you SEE me." He was close enough that for the first time in my life, I could see his markings, his eyes, his magnificance. I took a another step closer and of course, he flew away...towards my house, across the neighbor's roof and then off, off and away. But it was a wonderful experience for me. I was so taken aback that I called my mom and said I wish I had a zoom camera ALWAYS hanging around my neck. My camera phone just wouldn't have done justice. I'm glad he didn't get any of my 'babies' and don't wish death on any animal, but it's survival of the fittest. It's the balance of nature. Of course -- I need to state that I DID NOT read every post in this forum so I may be expressing something that is in total opposition to another post or even the topic at hand. If so, I apologize..... But I just HADDA share. It was soooo cool. bonnie aka brit5467
...See More
My neighbor doesn't like me feeding the birds!
Q
Comments (68)
I used to feed stale bread to the outside birds.My neighbors dad,who lived at the house part time after retiring to Pa,,,told me it was no good for the birds. So for the last 5 years I have bought wild bird seed,..A year or so ago my neighbor told me I needed to stop feeding them as they pooped on his 50 thousand dollar truck.I told him to F off...Months later I got a warning from town saying I can only feed them with a bird feeder,...I got one,,,,Then he told me not to feed them more than once a day.At 63,with a bad hip,I fed them if I happened to see it empty whenever that was.I got a ticket from town saying the food that falls to the ground as they eat,is illegal.,,,How can people be so mean?
...See More
dzyg
9 years ago
Woodpeckers mainly prefer suet at my house. Maybe if you just stopped the suet the woodpeckers wouldn't hang around anymore. I haven't had woodpeckers go for jelly or oranges at all, both of which Orioles love. I would just scale back but not stop the birdfeeding. Not all birds destroy the trees like that. Put out just a Black Oil Sunflower feeder, may birds like these. I have never had woodpeckers eat the sunflower seeds in the shell.
catherinet
9 years ago
If you really think your tree is in jeopardy, you could post your questions on the Tree forum here on Gardenweb. Lots of good info there.
Can you post pics of the tree here? Like I said, trees have a pretty great ability to heal themselves.
I agree with what all dzyg said. But you also can't overlook what might be another problem with your tree.......maybe some kind of bug, and the woodpeckers are going after them.

Would love you to post a pic of the tree here.
flowergirl70ks
9 years ago
It might have been sapsuckers, they girdled a birch tree so bad for me it finally died. They just would not leave it alone. we even painted it with Tanglefoot, but it didn't help much.
catherinet
9 years ago
So many of my trees are riddled with sapsucker holes........but it never seemed to kill any. I suppose there are alot of other factors involved though.
prairie_love
9 years ago
It is generally believed that woodpeckers only feed on dead or dying wood and that they do not cause significant damage to a healthy tree. Sapsuckers, on the other hand, may damage a healthy tree.

It is possible that your tree was not healthy and became infested with insects that the woodpeckers were trying to eat.

These sites have some information on how to protect your tree.

http://forestry.about.com/od/foresthealth/p/woodpecker.htm
http://www.arborilogical.com/tree-articles/woodpecker-damage/

feeding birds has created a tree damage problem

Comments (7)

catherinet

Mary4b
Original Author

Related Discussions

dzyg

catherinet

flowergirl70ks

catherinet

prairie_love

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

feeding birds has created a tree damage problem

Comments (7)

catherinet

Mary4bOriginal Author

Related Discussions

dzyg

catherinet

flowergirl70ks

catherinet

prairie_love

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Mary4b
Original Author